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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bark — to shout
  9. firm — steady
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rest — a break
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. firm — decided
  14. file — a tool
  15. object — to protest
  16. bass — low music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. firm — a company
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. file — a document
  21. branch — a division
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com